MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
An easy 1 hour return walk.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The walk to Moturau Moana Native Gardens begins here - at the Department of Conservation's Rakiura National Park Visitor Centre in Oban.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
We walk down to the waterfront and turn left.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
We follow the road along past the wharf and up that small hill where the road turns to the left.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Here we carry on straight ahead.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Heading down the hill towards Bathing Beach.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Bathing Beach.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Kiwi birds are commonly seen in this area.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Looking out over Butterfield Beach - with a totally cool Morris 1000 (or "Morrie Thou") in the foreground.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Butterfield Beach.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Here we turn right.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
And here we are at the entrance to Moturau Moana Native Gardens.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
A steepish driveway leads us up to the small carpark.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
We'll start by checking out the Coastal section and the so-called Observation Shelter.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Ummmm... That's not an Observation Shelter. It's an Observation Deck...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
...with a nice view...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
...and slightly unconventional outdoor furniture.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Where does this little path go..?

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Ah... Down here.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Heading back up past the deck.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Nice picnic area.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The Alpine Plants section.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The fernery.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Yep. That's a fernery alright...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The public shelter could come in handy. The weather can get a bit wild on Rakiura / Stewart Island sometimes.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Right... Let's explore down here.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
This is the track to the grand-sounding Western Lawn. Let us hasten to the Western Lawn forthwith...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Oh.. A little sidetrack.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Ah-hah! It looks like it's there for servicing the gardens.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Yep. It leads out to this stretch of lawn...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
...which goes off down that way when we look left.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
And if we look right, it heads back up to the fernery.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Heading back down the service lane we come to this delightful shed.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Okay... We're back on track to the Western Lawn.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
This is it... The Western Lawn.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The Western Lawn.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
At the top end of the Western Lawn we come to these steps.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Looking down the steps, we see the road.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
We climb up the steps to this point.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
A cool shady seat.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
This is the lawn that heads back up to the fernery...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
...but what's this..? Another little track.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
It leads us through to here...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Another fernery. This is a nice spot.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Okay... Time to head back.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Walking up the lawn to the first fernery we saw.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
The first fernery we saw.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
Here we are back at the public shelter.

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
We head back the way we came, passing Butterfield Beach...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
And we go up and over the low hill...

MOTURAU MOANA - Rakiura National Park
...which brings us back down into Oban.